Moving all the way from the Midwest to the Walnut Creek/Pleasant Hill/Concord area, suggestions for apartments? (Los Angeles: rent)

[h4ppyl1fe]

Hey everyone,

I'm moving to the area to attend a CCC and hopefully transfer out, and since I have family in the bay area, I thought this was the ideal place to be. After touring the schools, I've decided that Diablo Valley College is probably the best fit for me, though I don't know much about the Walnut Creek/Pleasant Hill/Concord area (my relatives actually live in Fremont and Union City).

Any suggestions of places to live for a DVC student? I'd like to take the bus to class or at least have that option. My budget is around $1350-$1450/mo. Also, is demand really high in the area? I've been told that it might be really hard to find an apartment and that I will probably be put on a waiting list no matter where I go. I'd like to have a place by June 1st - is this reasonable?

Also, any thoughts on the CCC system? I've heard that it has been cutting a lot of classes over the past 3 or 4 years, but prop 30 now has "stopped the bleeding." I've also heard that more funding is coming later this year (and actually at DVC, they've built a new student services building and are building a new quad), so this gives me a lot of hope. From asking a few people in the area, I've gotten mixed reactions on how the CCC's are holding up - some people say the crisis is blown out of proportion and basically told me if you're motivated you should transfer in 2 years, whereas other people have told me it's been a nightmare getting the classes that they need. I know at least one person was offended that I wanted to attend a CCC being that I'm from out-of-state, when in reality I have to pay in full for classes (about 4x per unit more than a Ca resident).

Thanks!

[capoeira]

Originally Posted by h4ppyl1fe

Also, any thoughts on the CCC system?

Originally Posted by capoeira

California Community colleges have been devastated by budget cuts and many students cannot get classes.

"I talked to a former student who graduated just last year, and he said in the fall he could only get two classes" at a community college," Gen said. "I mean, it's going to take him four or five years just to get out of a two-year program. It's just a travesty what's going on."

Cuts to community college system a 'travesty,' says trustee | 89.3 KPCC

Enrollment Options Dwindle At Overcrowded Community Colleges « CBS Los Angeles

The AVC Examiner: NEWS: Budget cuts and college students

California community colleges: California community colleges to slash enrollment, classes - Los Angeles Times

Calif. College Students Brace For State Budget Cuts « CBS Los Angeles

Big Changes Could Soon Be Coming to Community Colleges in CA - Central Coast News KION/KCBA

Community colleges struggle with higher enrollment and fewer funds

Moving to California to attend community college is a very bad idea,especially when there are probably much better 2 year schools in the midwest. I do not know the situation at Diablo but I know of several people who cannot get their classes at SF City College. Proposition 30 is devastating long term for California and will generate much less revenue than expected.

[ketch89]

I'm a current CCC student going to Foothill in Los Altos, I rent an apartment in Mountain View. A studio will run you $1200 to $1300 around here (yeah, expensive).

I'll be the first to sing praises for Foothill and DeAnza, they offer tons of classes, are in beautiful areas, and bus service to and from them is pretty good. I've had great experiences with all of my teachers. The main reason Foothill and DeAnza haven't suffered from budget cuts as much is because they attract many international (Asian) students. If you do choose Foothill or DeAnza, I'd recommend taking Honors English 1A and 1B, as being in English classes with lots of people who aren't native speakers isn't much fun. Other than that, I really have no complaints about Foothill.

DVC is a great community college, but it has been hit by budget cuts. Here's an article from fall 2012:

Budget cuts hit community colleges hard - SFGate

I almost chose DVC actually, because despite budget woes I had heard great things about the faculty. I just didn't want to live in the interior east bay, though. It's completely suburban, very hot in the summer, and the only good thing about living there would be access to BART.

Good luck.

[h4ppyl1fe]

Originally Posted by capoeira

Moving to California to attend community college is a very bad idea,especially when there are probably much better 2 year schools in the midwest. I do not know the situation at Diablo but I know of several people who cannot get their classes at SF City College. Proposition 30 is devastating long term for California and will generate much less revenue than expected.

The thing is that there really aren't CC's anywhere else that can match the California CC system. And it's still by far the best way to get into a UC

Originally Posted by ketch89

I'm a current CCC student going to Foothill in Los Altos, I rent an apartment in Mountain View. A studio will run you $1200 to $1300 around here (yeah, expensive).

I'll be the first to sing praises for Foothill and DeAnza, they offer tons of classes, are in beautiful areas, and bus service to and from them is pretty good. I've had great experiences with all of my teachers. The main reason Foothill and DeAnza haven't suffered from budget cuts as much is because they attract many international (Asian) students. If you do choose Foothill or DeAnza, I'd recommend taking Honors English 1A and 1B, as being in English classes with lots of people who aren't native speakers isn't much fun. Other than that, I really have no complaints about Foothill.

DVC is a great community college, but it has been hit by budget cuts. Here's an article from fall 2012:

Budget cuts hit community colleges hard - SFGate

I almost chose DVC actually, because despite budget woes I had heard great things about the faculty. I just didn't want to live in the interior east bay, though. It's completely suburban, very hot in the summer, and the only good thing about living there would be access to BART.

Good luck.

Thanks.

I actually liked the demographics and location a lot at De Anza being Asian myself. However on my tour, the guide made it seem like getting classes was really hard for other students (he himself actually had priority registration for sports). Also I'm unfamiliar with the quarter system - I'll be taking the calc1-3 linear algebra and discrete math route. In your opinion, will it be harder? Also, have you had any problems getting the classes you need at Foothill?

[ketch89]

Originally Posted by h4ppyl1fe

The thing is that there really aren't CC's anywhere else that can match the California CC system. And it's still by far the best way to get into a UC

I actually liked the demographics a lot at De Anza being Asian myself. However on my tour, the guide made it seem like getting classes was really hard for other students (he himself actually had priority registration for sports). Also I'm unfamiliar with the quarter system - I'll be taking the calc1-3 linear algebra and discrete math route, will it be harder?

The difficulty in getting classes is way overblown. The past two quarters I've woken up at 4:30am just to be online right when registration opens at 5am, and both times it's proven unnecessary. As long as you register in the first few hours that registration is open, you won't have a problem. There aren't anywhere near enough athletes, veterans, and disabled people to fill classes before regular registration starts. If you're paranoid about it, just be online ready to enter your CRN's right at 5am.

[sav858]

Did you want to live alone or with roommates? There are a lot of apartments right next to DVC that rent to students. A decent amount of bus lines in the area also go directly to DVC. Yeah it's competitive and somewhat pricey around here but you should be able to find a 1 bed for that price fairly easy if you're flexible.